This week, “Campaign 2012″ looks at the Iowa straw poll, which will be held on Saturday, August 13. Tom Fiedler, Dean of Boston University’s College of Communication, talks about his predictions and analysis for the straw poll.

Markets continued to fall sharply today following Standard & Poor’s downgrade of U.S. debt, lowering the credit rating from AAA to AA+. S&P continued their downgrades by lowering ratings for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and several Federal Home Loan Banks. Boston University economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff weighed in with his view of S&P’s move to lower the U.S. rating. Speaking to the Boston Herald, he said:

“You add it all up, our bond rating shouldn’t be AA+, it should be CCC at this point. I’m not kidding…It’s a scary mix of ingredients…If the market drops any more, this could lead to a double-dip. At some point, all hell can break loose on our bond market. If people realize how broke the country is, they may start dumping bonds. This could be a catalyst and interest rates would shoot up. Bank assets would drop and banks would start to fail. People might panic and take money out of their money-market accounts.”

Afghanistan is broke, US drowning in debt – so what about a war ceiling? (EconomyWatch): “The total cost of war, the longest in American history and one that was paid for by borrowing rather than by increased taxation, should not be measured solely by the costs of financing the troops and the extensive aid programs administered by the State Department. It should also include long-term costs of the war, primarily veterans’ benefits for returning soldiers, who will require medical and mental health services for many years to come. Long after the last troops depart from the country, that hidden part of the bill will come due.” William Keylor, Professor of International Relations, College of Arts & Sciences

“The president’s tactical errors were obvious. First, he failed to embrace his own Deficit Commission’s report and thereby yielded the high ground to the GOP on the debt issue. Second, he abandoned the bully pulpit by not calling out the tea party zealots for what they are – financial terrorists. Finally, he took the 14th Amendment alternative off the table without the slightest pressure to do so. Mr. Obama may yet get reelected in spite of his incompetence. In the meantime, he has hung congressional Democrats out to dry.”

Does public understand debt debate? (Patriot Ledger): “Mainstream news media and the new media have been paying a lot of attention to this, so people say they are following it, but I think it’s too arcane and too political for people to really have a clear understanding as opposed to a push-button ideological understanding.” Tobe Berkovitz, Associate Professor of Advertising, College of Communication

Hospital charges $9.2 million to dead patient’s estate (ABCNews.com): “This is tragic. I think that the aim of health care might be something like…confidence that every American will get needed, competent, and timely care without having to worry about the bill when we are sick and, and without having to ever worry about losing our insurance coverage. That’s what we can get for $2.7 trillion a year.” Alan Sager, Professor of Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health

With the Aug. 2 deadline looming on the debt ceiling crisis, Massachusetts officials are drafting an emergency plan to ensure that the state will be able to pay their bills. The following Boston University experts are available to comment:

“Without the U.S. and other Western allies defending his government, Karzai has no chance of surviving the combined pressures from the Taliban and Pakistan, which, as ever, seeks to control Afghanistan’s destiny so that India won’t.

“So while he says he wants a long-term deal with the U.S., he needs to show the Afghan people that he — not the United States — is dictating the terms.”

Tom Whalen, an associate professor of social sciences, is an expert in American politics and the American presidency. He is also a regular contributor to PoliticoArena. He can be reached at 978-888-3131 or tjw64@comcast.net